The soft morning light streams through the curtains, casting delicate patterns on the wooden floor of Sophia's room. She stirs, the remnants of a restless sleep still clinging to her as her eyes flutter open. Something catches her attention almost immediately: a large, elegantly wrapped box sitting on the armchair by the window. It wasn't there when she went to bed.
She sits up, the silk sheets pooling around her as her pulse quickens. Alexander. It has to be from him. Who else would leave such an imposing gift unannounced? Her bare feet touch the cool floor as she rises, her curiosity outweighing her hesitation. The box is wrapped in pristine ivory paper, tied with a wide, satin ribbon of deep crimson.
